MS Now anchor Jonathan Capehart repeatedly interrupted former Trump White House lawyer Ty Cobb on Saturday to correct his assertion that President Donald Trump has been legally found to be a "rapist."
Cobb made the remark while appearing on the show "The Weekend," criticizing Trump as "a malignant narcissist, convicted felon, rapist, and somebody who was really out to feather his own nest and pursue all these vanity projects." Capehart immediately interjected, stating, "Ty, I just have to stop you...because you just you just called the president a, a a rapist. And that is a legal thing that he has not been convicted of. So we just got to be be clear on that."
Cobb initially conceded that Trump had not been convicted of rape but then argued that the federal judge overseeing the E. Jean Carroll trial "said on record that he was guilty of rape." Capehart again corrected him, clarifying that the finding was "sexual assault."
E. Jean Carroll, a former New York magazine writer, accused Trump in 2019 of sexually assaulting her in a department store dressing room in the 1990s. Trump has consistently denied the accusation. A jury found Trump liable for sexual abuse in 2023 and ordered him to pay $5 million in damages. Carroll later won an additional $83 million in a defamation case in January 2024.
Trump has appealed both judgments. The Supreme Court declined to review the $5 million judgment earlier this year, and his legal team plans to seek review of the $83 million defamation verdict.
Earlier in 2024, the Department of Justice reportedly launched an investigation into Carroll for alleged perjury concerning her deposition where she stated she received no outside funding for her lawsuit. It was later revealed that billionaire Reid Hoffman had contributed to her legal expenses.
More than two dozen women have accused Trump of sexual misconduct or assault, but the E. Jean Carroll case is the only one that has proceeded to a jury verdict.